23 High School Participants Commit to LPN Apprenticeship Program During Signing Day
News Release
NEW ORLEANS, La., April 17, 2023 – Families, officials and instructors gathered recently at Delgado Community College’s Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health to celebrate Signing Day for the inaugural class of the city’s new free, three-year path to becoming Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN). The 23 LPN trainees who signed their commitment letters attend seven different high schools across the city. The new pilot LPN apprenticeship program was developed by New Orleans Career Center (NOCC), Delgado Charity School of Nursing, and Ochsner Health. It is the only program of its kind in New Orleans.
“We looked for candidates who could commit, who had the drive, the acumen, and the support to see it through all three years,” said Carlin Jacobs, Chief Programs Officer at NOCC. “I’m thrilled with the caliber of these young people from New Orleans public high schools. Thanks to the support from school guidance counselors and our partnerships with Ochsner and Delgado, we have found a very impressive first cohort for the LPN program.”
Kaylin Blanchard – Edna Karr High School
Amari Simmons – Edna Karr High School
Fayvean Thomas – Edna Karr High School
Damyre White – Edna Karr High School
Brent Evans – Frederick A. Douglass High School
Keirra Lawrence – Frederick A. Douglass High School
Loreal Burnett – G. W. Carver High School
Yohana Gutierrez – L.B. Landry High School
Ciara Dregory – McDonogh 35 Senior High School
Christopher Terry – McDonogh 35 Senior High School
Ja’Mya Williams – McDonogh 35 Senior High School
Jamyrion Williams – McDonogh 35 Senior High School
Danielle Bryant – Eleanor McMain High School
Jazzi Garrett – Eleanor McMain High School
Amarie Howard – Eleanor McMain High School
Geovan Jackson – Eleanor McMain High School
Paris Jones – Eleanor McMain High School
Ganaé Jackson – Warren Easton Charter High School
Kemora Jefferson – Warren Easton Charter High School
Reianne Lewis – Warren Easton
Madison’lee Moore – Warren Easton
Fatimah Sherman – Warren Easton
Sa’Myra Wilson – Warren Easton
Starting in the fall of 2023, training will be conducted year-round at NOCC, Delgado, and Ochsner. Trainees will complete coursework and clinical requirements equivalent to any other state-approved LPN program. The pilot consists of a combination of industry-based credential certifications, dual-enrollment college coursework, clinical experiences, and workplace preparedness training. Upon completion, students will be eligible to apply to take the NCLEX exam required to exit nursing school and receive a practical nursing license. Louisiana’s State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners assesses all applications for the exam.
Delgado’s Practical Nursing Program prepares the student for a career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Clinical experience makes up more than 50 percent of the program hours. Students learn patient observation skills, treatments, and medications.
In addition to the intensive healthcare and medical coursework, trainees will complete Impact Training at Ochsner, a workforce development program that gives participants hard and soft skill sets and knowledge to increase performance and become reliable employees. The program includes workplace ethics training, communication and problem-solving strategies, and technical skills like equipment training, safety procedures, and use of ancillary patient medical devices.
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About New Orleans Career Center
The New Orleans Career Center (NOCC) is the career and technical education hub for New Orleanians seeking entry into the region’s high-demand, high-wage employment sectors. We offer professional-level training for high school students, the LAUNCH fifth-year program for those who’ve just graduated from high school, and a Rapid Reskill program for adults. Since 2018, more than 1,000 local residents have gained the technical and soft skills they need to succeed in professional environments through hands-on training with industry and education experts. NOCC recently moved into its purpose-built forever home at 1331 Kerlerec Street which provides more than 143,000 s.f. of customized instructional space and nearly triples the training capacity.
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